Who You Talk With At Your Job Is Actually Important

There are many ways to describe how you contribute to your company. Yes, your specific job duties can be stated in a formal job description, but a role defines where you are in the company’s structure. What do you actually do? Who do you talk with? 


Sometimes, perspective on your role can be gained by understanding who you directly work with through the ordinary course of doing business. 

Your job title itself can position you. Are you a Store Manager or an Assistant Store Manager? Are you a Sales Associate or a Regional Sales Manager? The job titles themselves are easily understood, highlighting who you talk with to get your job done. 

But there are always unofficial connections between people. Maybe you are the “go to person” about technical questions. Perhaps you are a mentor to someone with less experience in an informal way. Neither of these are job titles, but they are important roles.


There is another way to think about this. Who do you talk with on a regular basis? Are they in just your own department, or are they in other parts of the company? Or are they clients or vendors who are outside of the company? 

I have a client who is a Facilities Manager at a big company. One of the ways we made it clear in her resume that she had an important job was by stating her points of contact. She talked with dozens of different types of people every day, including: 

Auditors, Client Representatives, Engineers, Environmental Health & Services, Executive 

Team, Fire Department, Human Resources, Government Agency Representatives, 

Landscapers, Purchasing, Space Planners, Vendors, Clients

And that isn’t even the entire list!


Just for fun, take this coming week and make a list of everyone you talk with in an official or unofficial capacity. You might be surprised at the length of the list. It really does matter who you communicate with because it is one of the ways to define what you actually do. That information can help you when you are applying for a new job or position.